At the present time, the field of reclining chairs which are operable when placed in close proximity to a wall, has developed to the extent where two distinctly different systems are now in use for obtaining the necessary approximately linear movement of the arm frame away from the wall in order that the top of the backrest will not strike the wall in its fully reclined position. In non-handle operated recliners, relative motion of the arm frame versus the seat and/or backrest provides the motivating leverage for placing the chair in any of its various reclined positions. In wall proximity recliners, the above relative motion must be added to the motion required to move the body support members away from the wall to obtain the necessary clearance. The earlier of the two wall proximity systems e.g. see U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,663 mounts the arm frame on a roller and track combination, one part of which is attached to a fixed base, to provide the means for obtaining the linear motion necessary to carry the arm frame and body support members away from the wall. These roller and track systems in combination with the typical recliner linkage which is necessary for the reclining mode of the chair, are costly, require exacting alignment of the tracks on either side of the chair for smooth operation, require adjustment for synchronization of chair operation, and are subject to breakage of the rollers in use.
The latter of the two wall proximity systems e.g. see U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,417 utilize an all linkage mechanism for obtaining all motions of the recliner and thus eliminate all drawbacks of the roller and track type. The earlier of these all linkage systems merely substituted a straight line linkage for the roller and track, but had the disadvantage of lateral and rotational instability of the chair because the body support or weight bearing members are supported by the straight line linkage which in turn is pivotally mounted to the fixed base.